


Bitter-Sweet

by theskywasblue



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Future, Happy Ending, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-09
Updated: 2010-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 00:30:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dokugakuji wakes up at the end of the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bitter-Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "humour". Time take to write 46 minutes.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Gojyo, looking towards some indeterminable point on the horizon with smears of dirt and blood all over his face, and heavy snowflakes caught in his eyelashes.

 

Snow, in the desert? No, they were heavy flakes of pale ash. Houtou Castle was burning.

 

"So this is heaven?"

 

Gojyo looked down at him and grinned, fierce, flashing teeth. It made him look impossibly young and wild. "Why do I always get that? Do I look like an angel or some shit?"

 

Dokugakuji laughed, and it hurt, which was the surest sign that he was still alive. Gojyo didn't try and stop him when he sat up and wrapped an arm around his aching ribs. Most of the injuries he remembered sustaining were gone; ash and streaks of dried blood covered his torso on and around dark bruises.

 

"Only if the horns hold the halo up straight little brother."

 

"Believe me, they don't," Gojyo sat with one leg tucked underneath himself; the other stretched out and heavily splinted. Hakkai lay on the rocks next to him, curled on his side, with one arm tucked under his head and the other thrown over Gojyo's thigh. The shadows of his demon markings were still visible on his face and neck like the beginnings of bruises.

 

"Couldn't find his last limiter," Gojyo said, tenderly stroking the hair back from Hakkai's sleeping face, "But he's good – I guess it's all good now."

 

Dokugakuji pushed up to his feet; his knee felt weak, swollen, but it held. They were somewhere on the cliffs surrounding the castle, but with the dark sky and the spires of rock rising out of the ground, he couldn't make sense of exactly where.

 

"They're over that way," Gojyo made a vague motion with his hand that Dokugakuji still managed to understand anyway, "the path's not hard to follow."

 

Dokugakuji put his hand on Gojyo's head and his brother gave him an understanding look, laughing softly, "S'okay – go on. If you see that damn monk along the way, tell him – tell him…" Gojyo trailed off with a shrug, turning his attention back to the man sleeping at his side.

 

Dokugakuji picked his way carefully over the rocks. They were cool against the soles of his feet; his boots had disappeared at some point and he couldn't imagine where they were, didn't particularly care as he rose slowly higher, following the smell of smoke, bits of ash falling in his hair.

 

When he came across Sanzo, cross-legged on a rock, Goku asleep with his head in the priest's lap, Dokugakuji stopped to catch his breath. Sanzo seemed to be meditating, even dressed only in jeans and black silk – Goku had the tattered remains of the blonde's robes wrapped around him as a makeshift blanket – but his violet eyes opened the instant Dokugakuji drew near. The brunet reached out, tapped Goku's leg, but the boy didn't stir, "He gonna be okay?"

 

"Always is," Sanzo nodded once, curtly, and then gave a clipped laugh, "the indestructible monkey."

 

"Good," Dokugakuji smiled, "I was supposed to tell you something."

 

"What?"

 

He thought for a moment, shrugged, "Don't know."

 

Sanzo snorted, motioning up the path with a jerk of his chin, "Up there."

 

"Thanks."

 

From the highest point of the cliffs, Dokugakuji could see Houtou castle, aflame like a great volcano, shooting smoke and ash into the darkening sky. Yaone was watching too, seated against a rock with Lirin half-dozing beside her. When Dokugakuji approached, the princess sprang up and threw her arms around him, Yaone chiding her in a hushed voice to be gentle.

He tousled Lirin's hair to make her giggle softly, and touched Yaone's face to make her smile before asking, "Where is he?"

 

Kougaiji stood alone at the edge of the cliffs, watching Houtou burn. The ash on the wind had given his skin a grey pallor and tangled in his hair. Someone, probably Yaone, had wrapped his arms in gauze bandage from his elbows to the tips of his fingers. When Dokugakuji touched his shoulder, the prince tipped his head back and smiled weakly. There was soot and blood on his face and his lip was swollen to the point of splitting, still glistening wetly.

 

"All this…" his voice cracked and he looked away.

 

"I'm sorry Kou," he couldn't think of anything else worth saying. The wind picked up and blew stinging ash into his eyes. When Kougaiji started to shake, Dokugakuji put his arms around the prince's shoulders, pulling the smaller man tight against his chest despite the ache. "Don't cry Kou, don't cry."

 

"I'm…" Kougaiji made a sound that Dokugakuji didn't recognize at first, "I'm not _crying_."

 

The sound was laughter, wounded, bitter-sweet, but beautiful at the same time; as if it was breaking up some sickness deep inside Kougaiji's chest. There were long streaks of moisture on his cheeks that Dokugakuji decided he could forgive as he laid his cheek against Kougaiji's temple and laughed with him.

 

"It hurts," Kougaiji choked, still laughing, clinging to Dokugakuji's arms with his scorched hands, "Dokugaku it hurts – but I can't stop!"

 

"That's just to let you know you're alive Kou," Dokugakuji pressed his lips to Kougaiji's cheek, tasting salt, blood, ash – the bitter-sweet tang that life left on the skin.

 

_"Laughter is wine for the soul ~ laugh soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness. Comedy and tragedy step through life together, arm in arm... Once we can laugh, we can live."--  
**Sean O'Casey**_

-End-


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